Silver Redemption
by stephfarrow94
Summary: Giovanni abused Silver to the point where he becomes mistrustful, hateful and aggressive to the world. However, after Gold meets him and senses something wrong with Silver, he makes it his unofficial mission to help him. Silver does not want to be helped and soon finds himself in the Kanto region where he meets Green(M) who quickly takes him in. SecondaryShipping Green(Male)xSilver
1. Chapter 1

**This is based more on the manga and the games, except for a few tweaks here and there. **

**Warnings: Implied child abuse/rape, depressive tones, hinted suicide attempts. **

The fact that my entire life had been based on lies, deception and wrongdoing was something that I could never truly understand. How could I comprehend something when I had done it for so many years willingly and it had been a part of my everyday life? When it was something I was born and raised to do - told that it was right and I had to do it?

I could never really grasp why that boy was so obsessed over me – as if I was something he could fix. I didn't need fixing; I was perfectly fine as I was. I was normal, life for me was normal, even if it weren't sunshine and lollipops.

The things I _did _realise were wrong, however, was the way I would harm myself every day, tell myself how worthless and disgusting I was – how I would allow others to use my body whenever they felt like it and how I had even attempted to take my own life several times.

Even so, I had a purpose for living. I knew I did. The only purpose I could think of was that I was meant to be this way. There were times where I would look up at the stars and try to understand why I had been cursed with this life, but every single time, the stars would stare back at me, mocking me as if to say, _why aren't you dead yet?_

So, I suppose, as I sit here and tap my knuckles against the hard wooden coffee-table, I should begin my story and allow you to understand what a fucked up, worthless-piece-of-trash-whore-who-is-only-good-for-sucking-cock I am.

Whether or not you judge me, I don't care – I stopped caring about being judged when I was just a little boy.


	2. Chapter 2

When Silver first met Gold, it was almost completely random. He had just gotten to Cherrygrove City with his newly-stolen Totodile, attempting to evade the police search that had just begun. However, just by laying eyes on the black-haired male, he knew that he didn't like the other boy. This boy was too... cheery and caring.

"I don't care about weak things..." Silver muttered as he tried to push past the elder. "They have no place in this world. Only the strongest matter. Get out of my way."

"No." Gold refused to move out of the red-head's way, able to sense that something was... seriously off about this boy. "Why don't you return that Totodile? It's not yours."

"It is now." Silver snarled as he brushed Gold's hand off of his shoulder. "I'll fight you if I have to prove it."

"Then so be it." Gold's hand reached down to his belt, grabbing the small red-and-white capsule. He threw it, revealing a small black and white creature. "Cyndaquil, let's stop him."

Silver snorted as he released his own Pokemon. It was blue and crocodile-like. Its huge jaws opened as it readied itself for battle.

"I think it's clear who has the advantage here..." Silver muttered. "Totodile, destroy it with Water Gun."

At its master's command, Cyndaquil dodged the attack and retaliated with a Tackle. Totodile hit the ground with a small grunt before it pushed itself back onto its feet.

"Advantage or not, I won't let you take that Pokemon," Gold said. "It's not yours."

"I don't care. Bite attack, Totodile." Silver snarled inaudibly as his Pokemon missed its target completely and was knocked back onto the ground with another Tackle attack.

Almost as if it were fate, Totodile was knocked out. Silver's eyes widened as the realisation hit him. He had lost – lost to a _nobody. _

_What a weakling you are... _Voices played through Silver's head. _Always crying... Emotions are weak... Bonds are weak... The world has no place for the weak..._

"..." Silver recalled his defeated Totodile. Without another word, he shoved past Gold roughly, not realising that the taller male had ceased trying to stop him from advancing.

"Silver..."

The red-head turned at his name. His eyes widened once again as he saw his trainer card in Gold's hand. Anger overwhelmed him as he ran back at the elder. With a well-aimed punch, he knocked Gold to the ground before he snatched back his card.

"You..." Silver bit his lip. His body was taken over by shaking. He clenched his hands dangerously. "..."

There was no warning before Silver turned around again and ran from the scene. Hatred grew in the pits of him stomach; hatred for the world – but especially, hatred for that _boy. _

Gold, however, was able to tell that something was really wrong with the smaller boy. He had never felt such a depressing, hateful aura waft from someone as he did from _him._

**-XX-**

It felt like hours had passed before Silver stopped running. He curled up underneath a large oak tree as he tried to stop his body from shaking. He had only just stopped voices and memories from playing in his head, but he had yet to control his heart-beats and breathing.

Silver pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Placing his face on his knees, he fought the urge to cry. He wasn't going to cry – that would make him weak; a lesser being.

"It's all that stupid Gold's fault...!" Silver hissed to himself as he grabbed the PokeBall from his pocket. He glared at it as if it had put him into this state. "His and _yours..."_

Silver pushed the small button on the PokeBall, releasing his Totodile from its resting place. The blue Pokemon was panting heavily, its eyes drooping in exhaustion.

"You're worthless..." Silver hissed at it. "Pathetic. All I care about are Pokemon that win every time... If you couldn't even beat a fire type..."

"Toto..." Totodile muttered as it hung its head. "Dile..."

"Shut up." Silver hissed. "You're pathetic – you don't deserve sympathy."

_But neither do _you... Silver shook his head as he attempted to clear his thoughts. He shoved the Pokemon away in a rough manner as said being attempted to cuddle up with him.

"Don't you dare touch me!" Silver shouted as he curled up further into himself. "Stay away from me! I hate you! I hate you!"

"Dile..." Totodile closed its eyes as it wandered further away from its master. It lay down under a bush, staring sadly at Silver. It didn't understand why it was being treated this way – every other human it knew had been kind. But this boy... Why was there so much conflict in Silver's emotions...?

Closing its eyes, Totodile fell asleep, dreaming about its master. Would the morning sun bring a kinder Silver or not...?

Silver, however, didn't have the luxury of falling asleep so easily. Nightmares plagued his mind, waking him with cold sweats and whimpers. Memories caused him severe distress as he picked at his scarred wrist. Blood dribbled down onto the dirt below them as Silver fought so hard not to cry.

But eventually, Silver's exhaustion led him into a disturbed sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**WARNING: The flashback in this chapter contains the death of a Pokémon, child abuse and implied molestation. Feel free to skip the flashback if you wish.**

What felt like months had only been a week since Silver had first met Gold. Their next meeting was in Azalea Town this time.

Silver had once again lost to Gold, despite having added a Gastly and Zubat to his team. His head was spinning. Gold had not only defeated Team Rocket grunts _and _an Executive, but had won against him, just like their first meeting. Despite the fact that voices were playing through his mind worse than usual, he hid his fear behind anger.

"I hate the weak," Silver snarled as he clenched his hands into fists. "Pokémon, trainers. It doesn't matter who or what. I'm going to be strong and wipe out the weak. That goes for Team Rocket, too. They act big and tough in a group. But get them alone, and they're weak. I hate them all. You stay out of my way. A weakling like you is only a distraction."

"Silver, don't leave!" Gold called out as Silver turned to go. "Silver!"

_I hate them all, _Silver thought to himself as his body shook. He could feel hands from the past all over his body, cruel words being screamed at him. He remembered how he would cower in the corner of his bedroom, statue still in an attempt to keep his father from getting mad at him. _I'll kill them. I'll kill them all. I'll rip them to pieces. And _him… _That _boy _stands no chance against them. Hmph. I hope he gets what's coming to him – interfering with Team Rocket…_

"Silver!"

Silver was snapped out of his thoughts as someone grabbed his arm. With a loud shout, Silver shoved at whoever had touched him and scooted backwards.

"Never touch me – don't you _ever _touch me!" Silver screamed as he stared down at Gold who was now on the ground. "Don't even _come near _me! Stay away from me!"

"Silver…" Gold's lips curled into a frown. He couldn't understand why this child reacts the way that he does. "Silver, why are you doing this…?"

Silver couldn't stop the cold chuckle. He couldn't stop the memories that overwhelmed him. It was just the memories had only happened yesterday; they were so vivid that he had no choice but to become lost in them.

**XX-FLASHBACK-XX**

_Silver couldn't help but stare blankly at the wall of his bedroom. He was four, but despite that, his father had beaten him viciously – worse than usual. He was aware of the blood that dripped down the side of his face but he knew what his father would do if he made an attempt to wipe it off._

_Shouting and banging could be heard from the man's office. It seemed that Giovanni was yelling at the Executives once again._

Better them than me… _Silver thought glumly. His eyes glazed over as he became more unfocused. Tears dripped down his cheeks unconsciously, mingling with his blood, but Silver paid no heed to that fact._

"_Daddy…" Silver finally whimpered as his young mind finally came to terms with what had happened. "D-daddy…"_

_Hours had passed by and still Silver had not moved from where his father had dropped him. He loved his father, no matter what transpired between them, and he desperately wanted his father's approval – wanted just _once _to hear his father tell him that he loved him, or even just… that he was _somewhat _proud._

_However, when a large bang sounded from behind him, Silver jumped with a loud squeak. Having lived in terror his entire life had caused him to fear any sudden noises as well as movements. He turned around slowly, almost too afraid in case it was Giovanni or another Team Rocket member there to hurt him. _

_Silver's eyes widened as he saw blood on his window. He knew that it wasn't his because his blood was painted all over the carpet and on the wall furthest from the window. With a loud cry of pain and sudden worry for whatever had gotten hurt, he pushed himself to his feet and over to his window._

_With trembling hands, Silver unlatched the window and pushed it open. He was too small to see over the ledge, so he cautiously made his way to his bedroom door with a severe limp. He raised an arm to grab the doorhandle – but the action caused a sharp pain in his chest and his breath caught. He pushed on, worried about the creature that had gotten blood on his window._

_Silver crept as silently as he could manage throughout the Team Rocket Headquarters, but it apparently wasn't quiet enough – he had been caught by one of the Executives, a red-headed woman named Ariana. He gulped as fresh tears fell from his eyes._

"_Now where is little baby Silv going?" Ariana smirked. As always, it sent shivers down Silver's spine. _

_Silver's mouth opened and closed wordlessly as his body shook harder. He raised a quivering hand and pointed in the direction of the exit to the outside._

_Ariana's smirk only widened. She tutted. "Now, now, little baby, aren't you forgetting something?"_

_Silver wrapped his small arms around him as he ducked his head. He knew what the woman wanted. He flinched as the older knelt before him and pulled back when cold hands grabbed his face._

"_If you don't give me what I want, I will tell your father," Ariana whispered into the child's ear. "I don't think he'll be happy to hear about you being outside."_

_Several sobs lodged themselves in Silver's throat as he placed his lips reluctantly upon the woman's. He shuddered as he felt hands run over his body, hoping with all his being that Ariana wouldn't want to take their clothes off today – he only wanted to make sure that whatever was outside wasn't hurt too badly._

_The Gods seemed to have granted Silver some mercy today as Ariana pulled her hand off of the hem of his pants before leaving without a word. Shaking violently, the red-headed child quickly made his way outside as fast as he could with a wounded leg._

_The boy crept around the walls of the base, trying to stay out of sight as much as possible – he wasn't allowed to be outside and if Giovanni knew that he was, the man would skin him alive. _

_What felt like hours was only a few minutes until Silver arrived underneath his window. His heart dropped as he saw a badly-wounded Pidgey lying on the ground. Its wing was twisted at an odd angle and it was covered in blood. The bird Pokémon tried to hop away from Silver on one leg, but it didn't get very far._

"_I won't hurt you…" Silver whispered as he approached the frightened creature. "You're hurt… I'm hurt, too… I only want to help you…"_

_Silver didn't have much trouble getting the Pokémon into his arms. Once he wrapped it in his jacket, he hurried back inside the building as fast as he could. He stopped outside of his father's office and knocked tentatively. He knew he would get into trouble, but he had to help the Pidgey._

"_Enter," Giovanni's cold voice answered._

_Silver was hesitant as he pushed the door open. He peered around the edge with wide eyes before he stepped into the office._

"_Daddy…" Silver's trembling voice whimpered as he approached his father like the elder was a rabid animal. "…"_

"_What is it, boy?" Giovanni barked. He threw his pen at the child, furious that his precious time had been interrupted by his worthless son. When Silver remained quiet, except for a few sobbing hiccups, his frustration grew. "Speak up!"_

"…_D-daddy…" Silver's tears came in a steady stream as he fumbled with his jacket. Giovanni raised an eyebrow when his son pulled out a bloodied creature from his jacket. "…He's hurt…"_

_Giovanni took one look at the pathetic bird Pokémon before he sneered at his son. _

"_Please, help him, Daddy…" Silver's pathetic whimpers were music to Giovanni's ears. "He's hurt… Please…"_

"_Give it here," Giovanni stuck his hand out expectantly._

_Silver's facial expression changed from that of a kicked puppy to one of pure happiness. He limped over to his father and held the Pidgey out, just glad that his father was going to help it. However, Silver's terror grew when his father picked the injured creature up by its injured wing and dangled it in front of his Persian._

_Silver screamed. He had never felt so horrified in his life. An innocent creature – an injured, gentle _Pidgey _– was being tortured. He placed his hands over his eyes when the bird Pokémon's agonised wails filled the air – however, he wasn't fast enough to avoid watching as his father placed a huge hand around its neck._

_A sickening crack filled the air and Silver cried harder. His hands were forced away from his eyes as he was made to watch the Persian eat the lifeless Pokémon._

"_Remember, Silver," Giovanni hissed, "weak things, _injured _things, are worthless. They aren't needed in this world. If you ever find another Pokémon like _that, _take a page out of my book and kill it. It was weak and it deserved death – as weak things do, humans and Pokémon alike."_

"_D-d-daddy…!" Silver wailed. He didn't know why, but that hurt so much more than anything he had ever gone through. He honestly believed that his father would help the Pidgey, and he had never felt such an attachment to a creature as he did that tiny bird. He could see part of _him _in it, its weak and defenceless state. His heart went out to it and he wanted nothing more than to help it._

_With more painful cries, Silver collapsed to the ground as his father began to beat him once again._

**XX-End-Flashback-XX**

"Silver… Silver!"

Silver slowly returned back to reality at his name. He glared at Gold as if the black-haired boy was the cause for all of his misery.

"You know _nothing…" _Silver hissed. "Leave. Me. Alone."

"I know that someone has hurt you!" Gold pleaded as Silver turned and ran away. "Badly! I can see that! I just want to help!"

Silver ignored the other boy as he tried to put as much distance between them as possible. Help? _Help? _No one ever _helped _him. If someone wanted to help him, why couldn't they have done it when he was still at his father's mercy? Why did no one care enough to try and help him then? Why was that… that… _wannabe-hero _the first to even _speak _those words – even if they weren't true and just an act, as Silver was convinced they were. He was sure that Gold didn't care. He knew that Gold was only putting on an act, trying to draw him in so he could get what he wanted. He should know – he had been through that enough times to know the signs.

As Silver ran, he slipped his hand into his sleeve. He clawed at his skin, unblinking as pain made itself known and blood spilt. He didn't want to stop to get the pocketknife he kept in his bag out, so his fingernails would do for now.

"When will the pain end…?" Silver whispered. "Please… Make it go away…"

Silver ran, not caring where he wound up – just wanting to get as far away from Gold as possible. However, what he wasn't aware of was the fact that Gold was slowly beginning to become obssessed with him and was already planning their next meeting.

Just how much of Gold would Silver take before he snapped?


	4. Chapter 4

Countless months had passed since Silver had first stolen his Totodile and to him, it seemed that no matter where he went, Gold was there. Their meetings seemed more frequent and – dare he say it – planned out, on Gold's behalf.

Right now, Gold was nowhere in sight. That gave Silver comfort as he boarded the ship that would take him to the Kanto region. Hopefully Gold wouldn't be able to find him if the black-haired boy was unaware that Silver had left for a different region.

"Just leave me alone…" Silver muttered to himself as he walked down the crowded corridor to get to his designated room. "I hate you so much… Just leave me alone…!"

Looks were thrown Silver's way and people sidestepped around him as if he were crazy. The boy took no notice of it as he was too busy trying to fight the thoughts of Gold out of his mind. How could just one boy overwhelm him worse than his own _past _had?

"Look at that boy..." A woman mumbled to her partner as Silver walked past them. "Just listen to what he's saying… What a psycho…"

"You shouldn't say those things about a child," the woman's partner said softly. "Granted, that boy has screws loose, but look at him… He's clearly a cutter…"

More mutters and whispers filled the air as Silver got to the end of the corridor. He pushed past a young girl who couldn't have been more than five, knocking her to the ground. He ignored the girl's cries.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" A large male shouted at Silver as he leant down to pick up the girl. "What about a fucking apology, you little bastard?!"

Silver stopped in his tracks and turned to face the man. He had dark-grey hair and wore expensive clothing. It seemed that he was middle-aged.

"Shut the hell up…" Silver hissed. His eyes conveyed his exhaustion.

"You little shit!" The man reached out and grabbed Silver by the collar of his jacket. The red-head made no move to get away; he simply stood there, seeming as if he were in some far away land. "I should rip you to pieces right here and now!"

"What's stopping you?" Silver shot back without hesitation. "Do it. I'm right here. Do it."

"Why you…" The male ripped Silver off his feet and lifted the younger into the air solely by his jacket. He placed the little girl onto the ground and used his now-free arm to slap Silver across the face. "I'll gut you, you little worm…"

Silver closed his eyes. He couldn't help but emit a laugh. He reached up and unzipped his jacket, falling to the ground seconds later. He lifted up his shirt for the world to see.

The man's eyes widened as he gasped. He dropped Silver's jacket. He couldn't believe the scars that adorned the boy's stomach. It looked as if someone already _had _tried to act on the man's threat. It was clear that _someone _had already stabbed Silver in the stomach and dragged the knife downwards – the long scars that trailed down underneath the hem of Silver's pants were evidence enough.

"…That's…" The man backed off. He picked his daughter up and turned to leave. "…That's abhorrent…"

The cabin was full of whispers and points at Silver. The child, however, ignored them all. He stood up, looking down at his arms. His jacket was used to hide the scars and cuts that tore his skin apart, but it was serving a different purpose today – it was hiding the blood that stained Silver's arms from the fresh slices that ran from his wrists, past his elbows and halfway to his shoulders.

Slipping the jacket back on, Silver stepped in front of his cabin door. He slipped his key inside the lock and turned it, but it refused to open. Silver swore underneath his breath as he tried to open the door once again, only to get the same results.

Silver couldn't hold back the tears anymore. They flowed down his cheeks in rivers as he collapsed to the ground. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. The red-head buried his face into his knees as sobs wracked his body. He could feel everyone's eyes on him and, for the first time that day, he couldn't focus on his thoughts or his memories – he could only feel vulnerable and self-conscious as being in such a crowded area peaked his anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

**-XX-**

Silver couldn't have been more relieved when the ship docked. It had been an awful trip to Kanto but at least Gold wouldn't be able to follow him and cause more unneeded stress any longer.

"The only problem is…"Silver sighed as he walked down Vermillion's dock. "…there is, once again, nowhere for me to stay."

The red-head kicked a pebble that was in his path. His head felt like it was about to explode from stress. He had made the trip in an attempt to try and start anew, but already things were going wrong. He felt overwhelmed as memories of his past flooded his mind.

Silver remembered the way that his father had held him down and allowed his highest-ranking members of Team Rocket to violate him when he was barely two-years-old. He remembered how Giovanni would often come into his room at night and force the child to suck him off.

But most of all, Silver remembered how his love and compassion for people and Pokémon alike had been cruelly shattered after having witnessed years of Pokémon torture. He had been raised to believe that Pokémon were nothing more than tools of war, how only the strongest beings mattered and weak things didn't deserve a place in the world – but most of all, how _everybody, _both people and Pokémon, were enemies and were only out to hurt you.

But Gold… Why was Gold so obssessed with him? Why did Gold try so hard to get Silver to open up to him? Why did he want Silver to talk to him – _accept _him? Why was Gold… _different?_

Shaking his head, Silver tried to get his thoughts off of Gold. He reached down and fingered a Poke Ball in contemplation. Gold had quickly forgiven him for having stolen Totodile… Silver growled to himself as Gold, once again, invaded his thoughts.

"Just fuck off!" Silver screamed at the top of his voice. People jumped and stared at his outburst, staring as if he had grown a third head. He reached up and started to rip at his hair. "Leave me alone! Leave me the fuck alone!"

"Oi, kid!" Someone shouted from an unknown location. "Go get help for yourself!"

Tears streamed down Silver's face again as the boy broke into a run. He wasn't sure what he was running from, but he knew he _had _to get away. The only problem was, where was he _safe_ in this unknown region?


	5. Chapter 5

Silver was sure that it had been close to a month before he arrived at Viridian City for the first time in… _years. _He noticed how much it had changed, how _different _it was. He wondered if the gym would still be the same as it was when his father was the Gym Leader – foreboding and _evil._

_You told me… _Silver winced as he remembered the last words he and his father had exchanged before Giovanni had abandoned him. _…you were number one in the world!_

"_One must acknowledge one's defeat before he can move on…" Giovanni's voice was clear as crystal. "I will go solo… for now… So that one day I will form a stronger organisation!"_

"_What aspect of you was number one?" Silver whispered as tears welled up in his eyes. As cruel and relentless to him as Giovanni was, he was still his father and he _wanted desperately _to love him. "Gathering so many only to be defeated by a mere child!"_

"_Putting together the potential of many is how you produce a huge power… That's what an organisation is… That's the strength of an organisation! I failed… to make the best use of my subordinates' potential…! But you shall witness one day the revival of me and my Team Rocket!"_

"_I don't understand you!" Silver shouted. He couldn't comprehend _any _of this. All he knew was that for the few days before Giovanni's defeat, he had been treated as he should have been. Giovanni had been kind to him, had fed him and made sure that he was okay. Silver was willing to put all of his pain and misery behind him if it meant that they could truly be father and son. "You don't make any sense!"_

"…" _Giovanni turned his back on his son. "…One day, you will understand."_

"_I don't _want _to understand you!" Silver screamed as his father left. "I will _never _become someone like you. A coward when you're alone and acting like a tyrant when you're in front of other cowards! I will become strong! I will become a stronger man all by myself! _All by myself!"

Tears streamed down Silver's face as he collapsed onto his knees. He thought about what Gold and that Dragon-type trainer, Lance, had said to him. He didn't understand why they both were telling him to be kinder to his Pokémon – what use would that be? That would bring both he and his Pokémon nothing but pain. It would teach the Pokémon to trust and love in Silver – and when that time came, Silver would have to break their hearts one way or another, just as his father did to him.

The thought that Silver had turned out just like the man he hated most had never crossed his mind – until now. He hadn't thought about their parting for a long time – or rather, he wouldn't _allow _himself to think about it. Those words that Silver had screamed at the top of his lungs… The way that he had spoken with such hatred and despair… About how he had _sworn _he would be a better person than Giovanni ever was. But… The way that Silver treated his Pokémon… Silver _knew, _deep down, that he was nothing more than a miniature Giovanni.

"I don't want to be like him…" Silver sobbed to himself as realisation dawned upon him. "I _can't _be like him… Please… Someone… Help me…"

Just like they always did, people stopped and stared, but no one had made any move to try and help Silver. At least, not until Silver's cries and pleads for help became so hysterical Silver was on the verge of passing out.

"Hey! Hey, kid!" A male with spikey brown hair had run to Silver's side. He reached out and grabbed the red-head's shoulder in genuine concern, but he realised too late that it had only made the situation worse.

With a sickening scream, Silver lashed out briefly before he fell into the throes of unconsciousness.

**-XX- **

When Silver came to, it was with a cry of horror as he realised that he was lying in a bed in an unfamiliar room. Silver had not been anywhere _near _a bed for as long as he could remember – even when he would rent a room out in the Pokémon Centres, he _always _slept on the floor as far away from the bed as was possible. Beds just simply brought back too many distressing memories.

When the door to Silver's room was opened, said child's eyes widened in terror as he realised his situation; he was alone, in some _stranger's _home and in their _bed. _They probably just wanted to keep him here for pleasure.

"Are you okay, kid?" Came the stranger's voice from the doorway.

Silver remained silent as he stared intently at his lap. He didn't understand why, but being in this situation scared him more than any of the other traumatising situations he had been in ever since he was abandoned.

"Kid?" The stranger was the male with brown hair. He approached the bed with a frown on his face. He reached out to touch Silver again, but the smaller boy just scooted backwards until he was pressed against the headboard of the bed, trying to put as much distance as possible between them.

A lone tear fell down Silver's cheek as his mouth hung open in a silent scream. His heart thudded painfully against his chest and his entire body shook. Breathing was difficult as he soon fell into a panic attack.

The brown-haired male seemed to sense an attack of some sort approaching, so he left the room and returned just a minute later with a glass of water. He handed it to Silver, watching the hyperventilating boy.

Once Silver's erratic breathing had calmed down, the male leant against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. He surveyed the boy with unreadable eyes.

"What's your name, kid?" The male asked, hoping to get some sort of response this time.

"…" A hiccup escaped Silver's lips as he ducked his head lower.

The taller male sighed. "My name is Green. I am the Viridian City Gym Leader."

Silver's breath hitched once again at these words. Gym Leader…? This man… He must be one of Giovanni's people!

Silver's vision became a hazy white and his head pounded furiously against his skull. He had no will left to fight as he fell victim to oblivion for the second time that day.

Green's eyes filled with worry as he surveyed the scene. There was definitely something wrong with this boy, and judging from the reactions he was getting, it had to do with Viridian City – or perhaps,_ someone _that has something to do with the city itself.

**-XX-**

Green didn't like the idea of leaving the still-unconscious boy alone in his bedroom, but he felt that the police might know something about that child. He was currently seated in one of Officer Jenny's offices as they went through old records of previous Viridian City residents.

"I still don't know why you didn't just bring the boy here and make it easier…" Officer Jenny complained as Green sorted through his thirty-third missing person's flier in as many seconds.

"I told you," Green growled as he came across another missing persons poster that didn't resemble his guest in the least, "he seems to have issues with touching, and… I don't know how to explain it, but there is seriously something wrong with him…"

"You can't give us a better description on his appearance other than red hair?" Officer Jenny tried.

Green shrugged. "He hasn't spoken a word and he won't even _look _at me. …But… I _did _notice that when I mentioned I was the Gym Leader, he panicked for a moment and then fainted again."

"Hmm…" Officer Jenny pondered what that could mean. But then, it clicked. "Red hair, you say…"

Green watched as the policewoman turned back to her computer. It was silent for a few seconds as Jenny typed something out, and then she turned back to him

"The old Gym Leader had a son with red hair," Officer Jenny explained as she turned her computer to Green. On the screen was that same child currently in Green's bed – but younger. "Everyone suspected the boy of being abused, but it was never substantiated due to some… corrupt cops here on the force at the time."

Green frowned. "That's definitely him…"

"The boy's name is Silver and he went missing around the time the previous Gym Leader did. People said they saw the Gym Leader go one way and Silver go another – in tears. He was never seen around here again."

Green sighed and put his face into his hands. "What am I supposed to do with him…?"

"We can take him off your hands and put him into foster care if you would like," Jenny offered. "According to his records, he should be about fourteen – but due to his… upbringing… I believe it will be hard to find a suitable home for him."

Green shook his head. The thought of Silver going into foster care horrified him. "I'll take care of him. I was the only one, out of _all _those people, who did something more than stop and gawk…"

Jenny nodded. "I see. But for you to become his legal guardian, there will be a lot of paperwork involved…"

"I'm aware of that. I was removed from my parents' custody and put into my Grandfather's care, after all."

Jenny nodded. "Then I'm sure just by having something like that in common, there will be grounds for Silver to begin trusting you – however long that may take."

"Thank you for your help. I need to go back and check on him."

Green left without another word. He just wanted to go back and make sure that Silver was okay.

**-XX-**

When Silver awoke, he was still in the same bed he had been in the last time. The only difference now was that there was an Eevee curled up against him, fast asleep.

Silver eyed the fox Pokémon warily as he raised himself up with one arm. He wondered where the male from before had gotten to and why the man's Pokémon was sleeping with him. Didn't the furry creature understand just how horrid Silver truly was?

But the Pokémon's warmth outweighed any doubt and putdowns Silver had for himself. He had never allowed _anyone _so close to him before, and this… this tiny creature was bringing more comfort to him than he had felt in a long time.

Silver laid back down, careful not to wake Eevee up. He reached out with a tentative hand before he patted the Pokémon's silky fur. A small smile crossed Silver's face as he continued petting the Pokémon, feeling more at peace than he had for as long as he could remember.

Without even realising it, Silver had closed his eyes and fallen asleep once again.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Green may seem out of character, but he really isn't – he's only like it to Silver and in-character towards everyone else.**

The next time Silver awoke in the bed, Green was sitting at the desk across from him. With a yelp, Silver shot backwards and instinctively wrapped his arms around him, keeping his head low.

Green sighed as he turned to look at the young boy. He knew it was going to be hard to get Silver to trust him, but he just couldn't give up and leave such a troubled boy in the hands of someone who didn't understand a thing about him.

Yes, Green had grown up in an abusive household as well. His parents hated him and he had been shipped off to live with his grandfather when he was five. Professor Oak had been more of a parent to him than his mother and father had ever been. He supposed that was why he wanted to be the one to care for Silver.

"Your name is Silver, right?" Green's voice held a soft tone that he only ever used with his Pokémon. People usually weren't worth his time – Red and Grandpa were the only ones he ever really connected with.

Silver's eyes widened at Green's question – if he knew that, he surely _was _a Rocket! The boy soon found himself trembling violently as he searched for something – _anything _– to keep the older male away from him. His shaking hand knocked books and a lamp off the bedside tables as he felt around for something he could use as a weapon.

Green was confused by Silver's actions; what on earth could the red-head be looking for?

"What's wrong, Silver?" Green asked. He stood up and approached the bed.

Silver screeched a horrible screech as tears welled up in his eyes. He grabbed the pen that was sitting on the bedside table and held it out in front of him in a threatening manner.

"Stay away from me!" Silver screamed as he waved the pen about. "Stay away from me, you _Rocket!"_

Green's eyes widened as he realised what the problem was. If he was correct in saying that this boy was Silver, than his father was none other than the Team Rocket leader, Giovanni. It only made sense for Silver to assume that he was Rocket seeing as he had taken over the gym and knew his name.

Green raised his hands as he stayed where he was. "Silver, I promise you that I am _not _a Rocket member. I swear on my Eevee's life. It was my best friend, Red, who took down Giovanni."

Silver's eyes dropped again at these words, but he still did not lower the pen. He thought about what had just been said. He remembered the Eevee that had been curled up against him and looked around for it. It was nowhere in sight.

Minutes of silence passed by. Green knew that Silver needed the news to sink in before they spoke any more.

"…So…" Silver's voice was barely audible, but it was still clear he was trying his best not to cry. "…You're not a Rocket…?"

"No." A small smile crept onto Green's face. He reached over and grabbed the Poke Ball that was sitting on his desk. He pressed the button and Eevee appeared once again. "I hate Team Rocket as much as you seem to fear them."

Green leant down and picked his fox Pokémon up. He carried her over to the bed and sat her down in Silver's lap before he backed up a few paces. He watched as Silver hesitantly petted the glossy fur.

"So, Silver..." Green didn't miss the way Silver flinched and cowered at his name. It broke his heart, but he knew better than to show it. "You must be a Pokémon Trainer, too. Do you want me to take your Pokémon off you and give them some rest?"

Silver's eyes widened and he instantly pulled the Eevee into a tight hug. It was as if he thought Green was going to take his Pokémon away and then attack him or something.

"Silver…" Green's voice had that soft edge to it again. "Silver, is it okay if I bring Pokémon food in here, then? I'm sure your Pokémon are hungry and they could really use a bit of exercise."

Silver twiddled with his thumbs as he thought the offer over. If they did it that way… His Pokémon were still here to protect him against Green, if need be… But if Green took them away, he was at the elder's mercy…

_I will _never _be like you…_

Silver cringed as he remembered his own words from long ago. Keeping his Pokémon cooped up in their Poke Balls was a Giovanni move.

"…" Silver let out a small hiccup before he nodded. His trembling hands passed his Poke Balls to the brown-haired Gym Leader, but he just couldn't make eye contact. He was aware of his Pokémon being released from their confines and Green leaving to bring in some Pokémon food. He just stared down at the Eevee in his lap, not understanding why the fox liked being so close to him, or why he… was kind to it…

Silver looked at his own Pokémon, who were staring back in confusion. They clearly didn't understand why a Pokémon that wasn't even a part of their team was getting treated so kindly when they were all used to Silver's harsh commands.

Tears welled up in Silver's eyes as he looked at all of the battle wounds on his Pokémon. He gently placed the Eevee down on the bed beside him and leant over, raising a shaking hand. He reached out slowly, aware of the way Sneasel watched him warily, ready for anything.

"I'm sorry…" Silver whispered as he placed his on Sneasel's head. He saw the way the Pokémon had flinched violently at the touch, used to abuse. "Sneasel… Everyone… I'm… I'm so sorry…"

Feraligatr was the first to approach Silver. It nudged its trainer softly with its nose, a small whine escaping. Silver understood; Feraligatr was his first Pokémon, after all.

Golbat, Gengar and Alakazam approached next, each hesitantly. They were still very unsure on their trainer, but Silver had _never _apologised to them for _anything _before.

Magneton, however, buzzed happily as it floated over to its trainer. It seemed very content as Silver wrapped his arms around it, holding it close.

"All of you…" Silver sobbed into Magneton's steel body. "…I'm so sorry… It's my fault… I… I never should have treated any of you like that… Forgive me…"

Before any of the Pokémon could make a noise, the door opened again and Green walked in with several bowls of Pokémon food. He placed them all around the room, coaxing the Pokémon into eating. Sneasel was the only one who didn't leave Silver's side; it crawled up onto the bed and into its trainer's lap.

Silver reluctantly wrapped his arms around the Pokémon. He had never allowed any of his companions so close to him before – had never showed any such affection whatsoever. This was all so new to him, but the thing that kept him going was his will to change.

"Your Pokémon all look strong and like they're in tip-top shape," Green smiled as he petted Alakazam's head.

Silver just shrugged and buried his face into black fur. He couldn't understand what the hell was going on. First, he winds up in Viridian City and has another breakdown, and then he wakes up in Green's bedroom, passes out again, and wakes up, only to find that he is nice to his Pokémon. What the _fuck _was going on with him?

"You know you're welcome to stay here, Silver," Green offered as he sat back down at his desk.

Silver cringed at the forbidden words. So it begins… Green _did _want him as a sex slave…

"I promise I won't force you if you don't want to stay," Green continued on, sensing Silver's unspoken thoughts, "but I really think it will be good for you. A stable place to stay in, and you won't even have to deal with me very much because I usually spend my time down at the gym or on top of Mt. Silver to visit my friend."

Silver's ears perked at the mention of Mt. Silver. He knew that mountain. He had heard the rumours of how dangerous it was, how only the best of trainers were allowed up there. If he stayed with Green… put up with him solely for the fact that Green was one of the few who could travel up and down Mt. Silver… He could become stronger! He could take down Gold at last!

But what were the cons…? Oh. Just the fact that Green seemed to want his body. That Green would most likely abuse him. That he would be so unhappy here.

But hey! It was somewhere to sleep at night, and hopefully somewhere he would be supplied with food. It would save him wandering around, half-starved and cold. Perhaps, just maybe, he could put up with that just for the fact that he could become stronger.

Silver was aware that he was only using Green and taking advantage of his possible-generosity – but he was Silver!

With a reluctant nod, Silver nodded. He tightened his grip on Sneasel as tears fell harder. Did he really just resign himself away to another life of being a sex-slave…?

"Just…" Silver's voice was hoarse. "…No sex… At least until I get used to here…"

Green felt his heart breaking at these words; he knew that Silver would have expected something like that. A sad smile crossed his face.

"Silver, listen," Green whispered. "I promise you, I would _never _do anything sexual to you. I only want to help you. Please, trust me, Silver. I _know _we can become friends."

Silver just shrugged. There were those words that he expected – the words that were meant for him to lower his guard so that Green could strike.

"Silver, the kitchen is just down the hallway," Green spoke softly. "Come out when you are ready and I will make you some dinner."

Silver nodded, busy inspecting Sneasel's claws. He heard Green sigh and leave. He then turned to the Eevee that was still seated next to him.

"Is your trainer always that nice…?" Silver whispered to the brown Pokémon.

Eevee just smiled happily. "Eevee! Ee!"

Silver couldn't help but smile. "I'll trust you… Only you, Eevee."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N I forgot to mention that even though Silver is in Kanto now, Gold will still be making appearances and will have a much bigger role to play later on.**

Silver wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep the previous night, but when he opened his eyes the following morning, the alarm clock flashed a bright six-thirty on its screen. He yawned and wiped at his eyes, well-rested from having a proper sleep for the first time in years.

"Good morning, Silver."

Silver tensed at Green's voice. He closed his eyes tightly, frightened for his safety – why was Green in his room…?

Green, who seemed to have sensed Silver's uneasiness, spoke in a softer tone. "I'm sorry if I woke you; I was just coming to get some clothes from the closet."

Silver's shoulders relaxed. That was right; this was _Green's _bedroom. Green had every right to come in whenever he wanted to and for whatever reason.

"…" Silver just pulled the covers up higher and rolled onto his side, facing away from the Gym Leader.

"I'm going to be out at the Gym all day today, Silver," Green started to explain as he pulled clothes out of his closet. "You're welcome to do whatever you want while I'm gone. There's food in the cupboards and I'm sure you'll find something to entertain yourself with."

Silver just nodded, still not saying a word. It made him feel better knowing that he would be alone.

"I just ask one thing of you, Silver." This was unexpected. "I'm leaving Eevee home so I want you to keep an eye on her and make sure she stays out of trouble. Can you do that, please?"

Silver raised an eyebrow and turned back to the elder; why would he leave his Pokémon alone with someone he had just met…? Was this some sort of trick, or…?

"Why are you doing that…?" Silver whispered as confusion shined in his eyes.

"Hmm? Doing what?"

"Leaving Pokémon with me… Aren't you worried that I would steal them or something…?"

Green shook his head without hesitation. "Of course not, Silver. I trust you."

Silver's eyes widened at those words. Never in his entire life had someone said that they trusted him. Usually it was people saying that they _couldn't _trust him. But Green… sounded so _honest._

"Besides," Green continued on, "Eevee's pretty strong herself. You can battle against her if you wish."

"Why aren't you taking her with you?" Silver's voice was hoarse.

"I don't use her to battle."

Silver just nodded and left it at that. He laid back down on the bed and closed his eyes, hoping to go back to sleep. The last he heard of Green was the bedroom door closing as the male left.

Silver couldn't help but feel oddly at peace right now. Maybe… Green was the first person who he had met that could be trusted.

**-XX-**

The day had dragged by slowly for Silver. There really wasn't much for him to do at Green's home, but that may have been because he honestly didn't know _what _he was supposed to do in a home. There were plenty of books for him to read, but Silver was too nervous to touch them; what if Green found out and hurt him?

There was also a TV set, but Silver had no idea how to operate it – he had never touched a television in his life. He was too afraid of breaking it.

Silver had found that sleeping, eating in small amounts throughout the day, and battling his Pokémon against Eevee had been his main source of entertainment.

When Green walked through the door once again, Silver couldn't help but get off the couch as if it had burned him.

"Hello, Silver." Green smiled as he removed his jacket. "Did you enjoy yourself while I was gone?"

Silver just shrugged and left the room. He didn't feel comfortable being in Green's presence just yet. Instead, he left the house completely, sitting down on the back porch. He took notice of his Pokémon playing together happily towards the back of the yard, taking no notice of their master.

"They're happy…" Silver mumbled to himself. He rested his head against the railings, shivering slightly from the chilly wind. "...Why can't I be happy, too…?"

_You don't deserve happiness…_

Silver flinched as his father's voice floated through his mind. He remembered when Giovanni told him that. That was on his seventh birthday and he, once again, got nothing – not even a happy birthday off _anyone. _He questioned his dad as to why he was treated so different to the other kids and why he and Giovanni didn't have a relationship like the other children. He had said that it made him really sad and that he just wanted to be happy like the other kids who teased him.

"_You don't deserve happiness." Giovanni slapped Silver. "You're such a pathetic, worthless little maggot and you only deserve to be miserable in life. It's all you're good for. You're not here to be happy – you're here only to serve a purpose to this organisation and nothing more."_

_Tears dripped down Silver's cheeks as he nodded in defeat. "O-okay, d-daddy…"_

"_Now stop sooking and go to your room, Silver. I don't want to see you until I need you next."_

"_O-okay…" _

Shivers ran up Silver's spine as he remembered that day. Even now it still caused him great pain – he had been used to the harsh treatment, but he had seen from the other families in the city that birthdays were important, special days of celebration. The other kids got presents and lots of love – but Silver's birthdays had only ever been just like any other day. How could Giovanni treat him in such a cruel manner on his _birthday?_

Silver couldn't fight his exhaustion any longer. He was just… so tired… He couldn't fight any longer, nor could he keep up the will to survive. He had tried so hard to become the strongest Pokémon trainer in the world because he felt that it would give him a purpose other than what his father had wanted for him, but it was clear that he was far from the strongest trainer if Gold could continue to beat him so easily.

Even now Silver just couldn't see why he should even try any longer. He _knew _that everything would be better if he were to just die; he wouldn't be around to anger others or upset them – and most of all, he wouldn't have to have his daily battle just to ignore _some _of his pain.

Watching his Pokémon, Silver could see just how better off they would be without him. He had done nothing but abuse them, treat them as slaves and make them just as miserable as Giovanni had made _him._

"It hurts…" Silver whispered, reaching up to clutch as his chest. Tears dripped silently down his pale cheeks. "Everything hurts… Worse than ever… Please, God… Make it _stop…! _Anyone… Make the pain stop… Please…"

As Silver broke down on the back porch, he was unaware of Green standing by the window, watching him and listening to every plead he cried out.

**-XX-**

Dinner that night was a quiet one. Green had made something simple as he wasn't in the mood to cook. As he and Silver sat at the small dining table, eating toasted sandwiches, Green was trying to decide how he should approach the subject of letting Silver know that he was there for him. He knew that he couldn't keep letting Silver go as he was now or else Silver was going to be seriously hurt. Or worse.

Silver seemed to pick up on Green's absent-mindedness, knowing that it was unlike Green to be so lost in thought. He wanted to know what the older male was thinking about, but he knew better than to ask.

The meal continued on in silence for several minutes more before Green placed his half-eaten toasted sandwich back on his plate and looked at Silver. Silver felt a shiver run down his spine as panic crawled throughout him at the look.

"Silver, I want you to know something," Green started, deciding to just go with whatever his heart told him was best. He didn't miss the way Silver flinched as if the brunet had raised a hand to him. "It's… Well, I can see that you're having a hard time and all, and… I just wanted to tell you that I _do _care about you, so… if you ever needed a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen… Well, I'm always here."

Silver looked down at his lap and shrugged. He couldn't figure the taller male out. He was the one and only person in his life who seemed genuine. But even so, that didn't mean that Silver was able to trust him and believe fully in his words.

Green could tell that the younger was having trouble embracing his words for whatever reasons, but he understood that. When he was younger, he had trouble trusting his _grandfather _properly because of the abuse and neglect he had suffered from his parents.

"I won't make you decide anything right now," Green added on. He could see the way Silver's eyes glinted as if he were about to cry. "You think about it for however long you need. Are you done with your dinner?"

Silver shrugged again, pushing the plate towards his guardian. He had done nothing but pick at his dinner, unable to eat. He watched in silence as Green cleaned up after them both.

Truth be told, Silver _did _want to trust Green – but how could he trust a stranger if he couldn't even trust his own _father?_

Just as tears begun to drip down his cheeks, Silver left the dining room without a word. He walked to Green's bedroom, closing and locking the door behind him. He didn't care that it was his host's bedroom – he wanted to be alone.

Silver curled up on the bed and lifted his sleeve. He glanced down at his wrists, deciding that it was finally time to end everything. He reached down and pulled the razorblade out from the sole of his shoe. He held it to his wrists in slight hesitation before he pushed down and ran the blade through a vein in his wrist – letting out a small squeak at the same moment Green knocked on the bedroom door.

**-XX-**

Green had noticed that Silver had left the dining room quickly. He was worried greatly about the boy's sanity, and something was nagging at him to check up on the red-head. He didn't know what it was, but something was wrong.

Green made his way back to his bedroom, noticing that the door had been locked from the inside. He sighed and knocked on the hardwood, not wanting to use the master-key and intrude without Silver's permission – he could have been doing anything in there and Green's worry could also have been unfounded.

However, just as he made contact with the door, a yelp from inside the room caused Green's worry to grow ten-fold. Without hesitation, Green reached into his pocket and unlocked the bedroom door. He hurried inside, only to find Silver sitting on the bed, holding a hand to his wrist. Blood was gushing down the boy's arm in rivers.

"Oh, God…!" Green was horrified. He ran towards the younger, knowing that he couldn't just stand there and let this happen. He grabbed the redhead's bloodied arm and wrapped it in his shirt, desperate to stop the flow of blood. "Silver, I…!"

"Don't…!" Silver's voice was weak as he tried to fight Green away from him. It was clear that the blood loss had already affected him. "Just… leave…"

"No, I can't…" Green tightened the shirt around Silver's wrist, hoping that it would stop bleeding soon. "Silver, I… I can't just let you do this to yourself…"

Silver didn't reply; he was feeling too tired to bother. He closed his eyes and was unable to stop himself from falling against Green – no matter how hard he tried not to make contact with the older.

Green bit at his lip, concerned greatly. The second the blood flow slowed down, it was a trip to the emergency room. He could only hope that Silver would pull through.

**-XX-**

What felt like forever had only been several hours for Green before Silver's doctor came out and approached him.

"How is he?" Green dreaded to hear the news.

The doctor sighed before he removed his gloves. "Well, he cut straight through the veins. He didn't cut across – he cut downwards. He's very lucky. He should be okay."

"Can I see him?"

The dark-brown haired doctor shook his head. "No, not just yet. He's sleeping it off after having had a bad reaction to the painkillers we put him on. Give it about an hour or so for when he wakes back up. If he's doing better, then you may see him. You got him here just in time."

Green nodded and sat back down in the waiting room as Silver's doctor left. He couldn't understand how Silver could think about doing such a thing let alone act on it. He… He had been through a lot in his life, too, but he had never wanted to kill himself just to escape from it. Was he wrong in assuming that he could understand Silver's pain and help him…?

**-XX-**

"How are you feeling…?"

Silver narrowed his eyes at that stupid question. Oh, he had just about managed to kill himself, but he was feeling _great. _Yeah, right. Stupid idiot.

"What the fuck do _you _think…?" Silver groaned as he rolled onto his side. He didn't appreciate Green coming in here and asking stupid questions like that.

"Why would you do that to yourself, Silver…?" Green whispered. "Just… Why…?"

"Why would I explain it to you…?" Silver whispered back. He was tired of fighting. He couldn't bring himself to snap at Green. "You wouldn't understand…"

"…I think you're right about that last part… I don't think I_ could _understand…"

"So why are you still here…?" A lone tear dripped down onto Silver's pillow. Why was _Green _the sole person in his life who seemed to care about his problems? "Why haven't you abandoned me like the rest of them…?"

"I'm not like that, Silver. I won't abandon you. I won't. Just, please… Why would you do this to yourself…?"

"…It hurts…" Silver scrunched his eyes closed and curled his hands into fists. "…It hurts so much… What they did to me… They made me like this… I hate them… I want to kill them…"

"Who?" Green reached out to touch Silver's shoulder in a reassuring manner, but Silver flinched back violently. He pulled his hand back to his body and instead settled for trying to send the damaged boy a warm smile.

"…" Silver sniffed before he replied. "…My father… Everyone who worked for him… People I've never met… Everyone…"

"Surely you can't mean the entire human population, Silver." Maybe it was because Green just didn't want to believe that Silver had never known kindness before, but he couldn't bring himself to trust in Silver's words. "There has to have been at least _one _person who has cared for you – even a tiny bit."

Silver was silent for a few minutes before he spoke one word. "_You…"_

"Excuse me?"

"…You…" Tears started to fall in a steady rhythm down Silver's cheeks now. "You're the one and only person… who has ever cared… Even a little…"

Green couldn't help but let his heart go out for this poor child. He ignored Silver's attempts to move away from him and instead wrapped the child in a hug. He buried his face in the red hair, not knowing what to say.

"…I know bad things happen, Silver…" Green whispered, rocking the younger slowly. "…I know they do… They happen _a lot_… But there's also good things in life that make life worth living… No matter what happens, Silver… You can still live… You can still live…"

Green couldn't help but feel as if they had made progress together when, just minutes later, Silver reached up and gripped his shirt as the younger unleashed years of pent up emotions.


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm so sorry it's been several months since I've updated this fic, but my depression got so severe, I wasn't doing _anything_. Now that I'm mostly better, I feel this fic should be updated regularly once again.**

Months had passed by and Silver seemed to have put some amount of trust in Green. He wasn't as closed off and silent as he used to be, but he still resented close proximity. However, what showed progress between the two of them was the way Silver openly showed distress now. He would hang his head low and fidget, but he no longer denied anything being wrong.

Now, as the two sat around the dinner table, small discussions came and went. They talked about Green's day at the gym, about what Silver had done while he was home alone, and how the younger had been improving.

But the dreaded question that had been plaguing Green's mind could not stay silent any longer.

"Are you happy here?" Green asked, watching the redhead carefully. He knew that Silver was unpredictable and often exploded when asked the wrong thing.

Silver stopped twirling his fork through the barely-eaten spaghetti. He narrowed his eyes and glared at Green.

"..." Silver bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. So many thoughts ran through his head that he just couldn't make sense of any of them. "...You... Why would you... _ask that?!"_

Green flinched at Silver's scream. He knew to stay calm and quiet, but he had never seen Silver this bad. The shorter boy had thrown his plate against the wall before flipping the table.

"You _know _I...!" Tears fell down Silver's cheeks as he choked on his words. "...I... _You should know!"_

It was no surprise when Silver punched the wall hard enough to create a hole. Almost in the blink of an eye, he had grabbed a knife off the bench and held it at his wrist.

Green gasped and got to his feet. He put his hands out in front of him as he slowly approached Silver.

"Silver, put the knife down..." Green said in a soft tone.

"N-no..." Silver's hand trembled, as did his voice. It seemed that his outburst had been short-lived, only to be replaced by heartbreak. "You... _You're _not happy with _me... _You want me to leave, don't you...?"

"No, not at all!" Green couldn't help but cry out. "Silver, I _love _having you here!"

"Bullshit!" Silver shouted. "No one could ever enjoy being around me... I was stupid... to think that... that I had finally... found a home..."

So that was what was bothering Silver. He thought that he was being kicked out. That Green was unhappy with him.

Green took a step forward. "Silver..."

"Don't come any closer!" Silver shouted. He pushed down on the knife, drawing a few drops of blood. "I'll kill myself here and now – that will make you happy, won't it?!"

"Silver, stop this... I don't want you to do this..."

"Liar!"

Green sighed. "Silver, I admit; I _am _a liar, but... I have never lied to you... Please... You've got to believe me... I've only ever wanted to help you... Let me help..."

Silver let out a sob as his face scrunched up in agony. Green's first thought was that he had slit his wrists, but once a tear dropped down Silver's cheek, he realised that the younger was crying.

Silver dropped the knife as he collapsed to his knees. He reached up and grabbed at his hair, ripping in anguish. Green could only kneel down next to him and pull him into a hug.

"I'm here, Silver..." Green whispered as he rested his chin on Silver's head. "I'm here..."

Maybe Silver was just going soft, but he really did trust in those words. He knew that Green was the most trustworthy person he would ever meet.

**-XX-**

Though things had been going good for Silver, everything was about to go wrong. As he and Green sat in the living room of Green's home, watching TV, neither were aware of the distant sound of shattering glass.

Eevee raised her sleeping head from Silver's lap and hissed. Both males looked down at her.

"What's wrong?" Green reached out and picked the fox Pokemon up. It made him worried that Eevee was currently the only Pokemon that they had on them – both his and Silver's were in at the Pokemon Centre.

Silver instinctively reached out as the sound of footsteps approached them. He grabbed Green's sleeve and whimpered.

"It's okay, Silver..." Green put his arm around the younger's shoulder as he kept the fox cradled in his other arm. "It's okay..."

Voices sounded from the kitchen. The hairs on Green's neck stood on end; the only room separating the kitchen from the living room was the dining room...

"Silver..." Green whispered as he stood up. He placed Eevee on the ground before he grabbed the younger's hand. "We've got to hide."

Silver nodded as a single tear spilt down his cheek. He didn't care that Green was touching him; he knew that Green was going to look after him and could be trusted to physically handle him right now.

Green opened the door to the study and pushed Silver in. He went to enter the room himself before a yelp from his Eevee stopped him. He turned around, only to come face-to-face with the scene of his precious Pokemon being squeezed to death by an Arbok.

"Stop it!" Green shouted as he rushed out into the open. The only thought on his mind was that he had to save his Pokémon. "Let it go!"

"Hand over the kid and you can have your precious Eevee," an unknown voice called from the kitchen.

Green gasped. Was this about Silver…? "W-who are you?!"

"We were four of Team Rocket's elites," a second voice called out. "But Giovanni disappeared. We want that kid. We want it now."

"You can't have Silver!" Green shouted. "You can't!"

Silver, who was cowering under the desk in the study, was in tears. He knew those voices. They belonged to the old Team Rocket executives; Proton, Petrel, Ariana and Archer. The four of them were here and they wanted _him._

"Green won't let them have me…" Silver muttered to himself as he rocked back and forth. The small amount of trust that he had in Green was enough to tell him that the elder would still protect him. "Green says he loves me… He'll look after me…"

Silver silenced a scream and shoved his head between his legs when the study door was knocked off its hinges. Scenes from his past played through his mind as if they were on repeat.

"Oomph!"

Silver dared glance before him when he heard the thud of a human body hitting the ground. His eyes widened at the sight of a bleeding Green lying before him.

"L-leave him alone…" Green whimpered as he grabbed his left arm. Blood spilt through the gaps in his fingers; a sure sign that the brunet had been injured worse than he was letting on.

Archer let out a laugh. He moved over to the brunet and kicked him in the chest, resulting in a large crack ripping through the air as Green's ribs broke. Silver could only watch with wide eyes as his one and only friend in the whole world was beaten savagely just because _he _existed.

It wasn't fair; Green didn't deserve this treatment – especially not because he had been kind to Silver. Was this really how bad the world was because he was in it? Surely it would be better if he had never been born. Why did the Gods have to curse him with this fate? Why?

"Silver~" Ariana cooed as she knelt down beside Silver's hiding spot. She reached out and dragged him into the open, the boy paralysed in fear. His natural instinct was to not fight this woman – not right any of the Rockets. He knew exactly what would happen if he tried. "Silver, baby, why have you been hiding from us?"

"I'm sorry..." Silver whispered, tears streaming down his face. "...I-I'm so sorry..."

"You know that's not very nice." Ariana's hand moved from the boy's arm down to his hip, her fingers toying with the hem of the redhead's pants. "Don't you remember your punishments, Silver? Your tongue is so very talented."

Green, despite the pain he was in, shouted for the woman to leave Silver alone. He could only watch as the child's head was forced down to the woman's lap. He knew exactly what was going to happen, and he had to stop it.

Ignoring the pain and the difficulty breathing, Green kicked the Executives away from him and hurried to Silver's side. He threw himself at the woman, knocking her away from his charge, but that was a big mistake; the Arbok that had been curled lazily at the door hurried forward, hissing. It wrapped itself around the Gym Leader as it had said man's Eevee, crushing him.

Silver snapped out of his memories at Green's pained screams. He looked around before his eyes settled on the scene before him. He felt an emotion he had never experienced before grow; the terror that he was about to lose someone important to him.

"_No!" _Silver screamed. He shoved Ariana away from him and got to his feet, running towards the purple snake. He jabbed the creature's eye with a pen he had swiped from the ground on his way over, ignoring its cries of pain and instead grabbing Green who had been released from its coils.

"Green!" Silver screamed, tears flowing freely as he shook the older, unconscious male desperately. "Green, please!"

The redhead was aware of Proton coming towards them but, all of a sudden, the barking of several Growlithe and the howls of Arcanine stopped them. Officer Jenny stood in the doorway, her gun drawn and pointed at the criminals.

Silver sobbed as he moved in close against his guardian, closing his eyes. He didn't want to know what was happening, so he didn't look when human footsteps ran past them, followed by several canines.

Silver looked up at Officer Jenny's voice, his own voice catching in his throat. He couldn't hear what the woman was saying, finding himself in the process of fainting.


	9. Chapter 9

Silver awoke an uncertain amount of time later because of voices floating through the air. His eyes opened slowly, his vision fuzzy.

"He's going to be okay," one voice said softly, a hint of kindness in it.

"Thank God."

Silver froze. He knew that voice. It couldn't be... Why would _he _follow him all the way here...? He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision before he took in the familiar, hated form of Gold.

"You're awake."

Silver's gaze moved up to a doctor standing by the door, staring at him with gentle eyes. The man had brown hair and wore a standard doctor's uniform, a clipboard in his hands.

"We were worried that you weren't going to wake up."

Silver ignored everything the man was saying, his hard glare fixed on Gold. His gritted his teeth, his heart thumping against his chest.

"What the _fuck _are you doing here?" Silver hissed, hatred prominent in his voice. "Why would you follow me here? I thought I finally got rid of you!"

"Silver, you don't understand..." Gold's voice was thick with pain, his eyes betraying his emotions. His eyes displayed his sadness to the world. "I can see just how badly you're suffering, and I just want to help."

"I don't _want _your help!" Silver shouted, unable to control himself. He tried to get off the bed, but he didn't get very far as his legs collapsed underneath him. He shoved Gold away when the older boy came to his side. "I don't want _anyone's _help! Why can't you see this?!"

"Please, calm down, Silver..." the doctor approached the redhead's side and reached out, only to have his hands slapped away.

"Leave me alone!" Silver screamed angrily at them both. "Fuck off! Don't come near me! I hate you all! I hate you! I _hate you!"_

Nurses entered the room seconds after this outburst. While the brunet doctor had managed to get close enough to Silver to restrain him, the nurses were able to slip a syringe into the Trainer's arm, sedating him.

Gold stood by the wall, watching all of this with pain-filled eyes. He had heard about what had happened at the Viridian Gym Leader's home almost two weeks ago and had quickly boarded the next ship over to Kanto. He had been in the hospital with Silver for all of that time, talking to the Gym Leader and waiting for the redhead to wake up.

Now that Silver _had _woken up, had everything become so much harder for him...? It sure seemed that way.

_**One week later~~**_

Silver hadn't seen Gold throughout this time and he hoped the black-haired boy had taken the hint and left him alone. He was sitting by Green's hospital bed, waiting as the brunet received instructions from the doctor about how to care for his broken ribs and the arm that had been plastered and now sat in a cast.

When at last the brunet had the okay to leave, Silver followed behind slowly, unsure of himself. Why had Green done what he had just to protect _him? _Silver was nothing but a whore, a slut, a disgusting product of what he knew was rape.

But Green... Green didn't treat him like any of those things. He took care of Silver and taught him that not everything had to be painful. And Gold... Well, Gold had followed him around for so long – had even jumped ship when he heard what had happened! ...Was Silver... wrong in his assumptions about the raven-haired boy...?

"Hey, Green...?" Silver looked up from the ground just a few feet from the addressed male's home. The brunet was carrying Eevee in his arms, a bandage wrapped around the fox Pokémon's middle.

"Hmm?" Green glanced behind him as he reached into his pocket to grab the key.

"...Have you... Have you ever hated someone, only to think about them and wonder... if they... really deserve... that hate...?"

Green made a few facial expressions as he thought about this. "...Hmm... Well, Red and I... We didn't get along very well at first, but... I'd call him my best friend now. Why do you ask?"

"...Because... There's this boy from Johto... His name is Gold, and... he's followed me _everywhere, _gotten in the way of _everything... _ But he always said he cared and wanted to help... And after what the Rockets did... He heard about it, and he came here, just to tell me he wanted to help again... How do I believe something like that, Green?"

"Isn't that essentially what happened between us?" Green pushed the front door open as he placed Eevee on the ground. "I mean; you didn't trust me at first, did you? But for whatever reason, you're still here, and you took on an _Arbok _when you saw me in danger."

"..." Silver knew that Green was right. Why _did _he trust Green like this when he _couldn't _trust Gold...? "...But there was something... about you, Green..."

Green sat down on the couch, gesturing for the redhead to do the same. "What made you realise I was different?"

"...I don't know... The way you seemed to always know what to say to make me feel better... You gave me and my Pokémon food... A bed... You gave me _space, _and you _trusted _me... No one's ever trusted me before..."

"So what is it about those things compared to what Gold does that sets us aside?" Green smiled down at the Eevee that leapt up into his lap. "If you really think about it, if he didn't care... Would he still be trying to talk to you after this long? Catch a _boat _just to make sure you're okay?"

"..." Silver sighed and nodded. "...You're right... But how can I trust him...?"

"I don't know. I can't tell you how to do that, Silver. Only _you _know the answer to that. But I think the next time you see Gold, maybe you should listen to what he has to say. Who knows? You might change your mind about him."

Silver nodded and looked down at his lap. "...Okay..."

"Good. Now, about my Gym; I can't really battle in this condition, so would you mind filling in for me, Silver? I trust in your ability to substitute for me."

Silver's eyes widened. "M-me...? Really...? You... want me to..."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Green said softly. He knew the other would say yes, but he didn't want Silver to feel pressured. "I can always call in someone else."

"No, I..." Silver smiled – a _genuine _smile. "...I can do it, Green. I'll go and pick up our Pokémon from the Pokémon Centre. I'll be back."

Green smiled as he watched the younger boy leave. Silver seemed so happy, despite what had happened. Maybe... Team Rocket weren't so bad after all; they had made Silver find a courage deep inside of him that he didn't have before – he asked questions, he doubted if his hate was righteous but, most of all, Silver had found the strength inside of him to _allow _him to trust and _love _another person, to _protect _that person against the ones who had made him who he was today.

The Silver that Green knew before would never have done that; would never have admitted he was unsure of something he had known for so long – that he might be _wrong _in his hatred against someone else, be willing to change who he was for the better.

Green was proud of Silver. Silver had seemed so lost in his mind, holding onto the only things he knew – hatred, pain, anger... – but now, the redhead was on his way to recovery.

Green didn't know where he had heard it before, but... sometimes, maybe it just took walking through the doors and into one of the hardest memories a person had before they could move on and get better.**(1)**

**1 – I was actually watching Supernatural when I was writing this chapter, and it was just what Rufus said to Bobby that made me think. I won't spoil what happened because if anyone reading this follows Supernatural but hasn't gotten to that particular episode... well, you'd hate me forever if I spoiled anything. Long story short, it's something I believe in deeply seeing as I can apply that to my own life, having taken something drastic in order for me to realise I **_**can **_**talk to my friends and I **_**can **_**trust them properly, which I think applies a lot to Silver, having gone through what he has. **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N I will be introducing other canon characters within the next couple of chapters.**

To say that Silver was excited about his new substitute position was an understatement. He had been up all night, too anxious to sleep. What if he didn't live up to Green's expectations? What if he wasn't good enough? What if he was just a failure like everyone else had lead him to believe?

Green was different, though. Silver knew, deep down, that Green wouldn't be disappointed in him, or think badly of him or _anything _like that! Green was... _unique. _

But now, here the redhead was, waiting impatiently for his first challenger. He sat on the edge of the raised platform, his legs dangling towards the ground, petting the Sneasel that sat in his lap. The referee had already approached him and said that a challenger was on their way through to the battle round.

Silver nodded and stood up, putting the Sneasel down next to him. "I'll meet them there."

With that said, Silver turned and made his way into the back of the building, anxiety welling up inside of him as he thought about the many outcomes of this fight. What if he lost? What would Green say? What would Green _think? _But if he won? How would Green react _then? _

The boy's thinking was cut short when the door opened and a familiar cap poked through. "Hello?"

Silver's eyes became impossibly wide as his jaw dropped. His first challenger... _Gold..._ That... was _not fucking fair! _Why put him up against the one who was constantly beating him every meeting they _had _together?!

"Silver?" Gold sounded as confused as the addressed teenager felt. "Are you a Gym Leader now?"

Silver narrowed his eyes. He wasn't about to admit that he was only filling in; it would be too shameful for him to imply that he wasn't good enough to be a full-time Leader. "Yes. This is _my _Gym."

Gold grinned. "Sounds great. Six-on-six?"

Silver nodded and moved over to his end of the battle field. "Bring it."

Gold's grin only widened as he grabbed the first red-and-white capsule his hand came into contact with. "We'll make this one a fun one."

"You wish," Silver snarled. "I'll beat you down into the ground. Just you wait."

"If you say so."Gold threw the ball, a red aura escaping and forming the shape of his choice. "I just want to have fun."

Silver growled inwardly at these words, focusing only on all of the power he could muster. They had eventually fought each other down to their last Pokemon, Gold's Typhlosion and Silver's Feraligatr. It looked as if Silver was going to win but, at the last second, Thyplosion had used a Smoke Screen, confusing the blue alligator-like Pokemon that was just about to use Hydro Pump.

The Flame Pokemon used Flamethrower, hitting Feraligatr in the chest, effectively knocking out the exhausted creature.

Silver's eyes closed as he returned the Pokemon in silence. What _could _he say? Even as a Gym Leader, he still could not beat Gold.

The redhead turned to leave, ignoring what Gold was saying. His head was lowered, his chin tucked tightly against his chest as he fought back tears. Why couldn't he _win? _Why was Gold... so much _stronger _than he was? Why were things _like _this...?

"You lost to him again, huh?"

Silver startled at Green's unexpected voice. He looked up, finding the brunet standing on the railings above the platform where audience usually stood to watch the fights. He shrugged, looking back down at the ground.

Gold was still standing where he had been, listening to what Green was saying.

"Maybe you should talk to him and discuss what he thinks you're doing wrong," Green suggested once he was standing on the ground next to Silver. "He might have some helpful hints for you."

Silver shook his head. "I don't want to talk to him."

Green disregarded this and instead called out to Gold. "Gold, would you mind talking to Silver and telling him what he is doing wrong?"

Gold raised an eyebrow before he took a hesitant step forward. He saw the way Silver flinched and stepped back, a look of fright on his face. He watched as Green slowly wrapped his arms around the redhead, only to have them slapped away. He sighed.

"Silver, what you're doing is –" Gold had begun, only to be interrupted angrily by the younger boy.

"Yeah, I get it!" Silver snapped. "I'm not good enough to my Pokémon, right?! But I've tried so hard to change, and I _still _can't beat you! What makes you so much better than me?! What?! Just because _you've _had a dream life, and I haven't...! Maybe I made some mistakes in the past, but I'm trying... so _fucking hard... _to fix them!"

"Silver..." Green put his hand on his charge's shoulder, gathering the boy's attention. His voice was soft as he spoke. "Silver, I acknowledge all of the hard work you've put into this, but don't you remember the conversation we had?"

"...I..." Silver's eyes closed as he dropped to his knees, trying his hardest to hold back his emotions. "...I..."

"You're doing _nothing _wrong, Silver..." Gold's voice was soft, hesitant. He approached the younger boy slowly, knowing to be careful; Silver was violent and unpredictable. "...You're a _great _Trainer. I... I honestly don't know _why _I always win when we fight, but... You're great."

"You're lying!" Silver snapped.

"I'm not." Gold had finally reached Silver's side. He sat down next to the redhead, his Typhlosion following. "I'm telling you the truth. You could be a true Gym Leader if you wanted, Silver."

"Stop it!" Silver shouted. "You're lying to me! You're avoiding the fact that I just can't win against you! I _hate _you!"

Gold sighed. He reached out and put a hand on Silver's shoulder, watching as Green reached down and pulled Silver to his feet.

"We talked about this, Silver." Green was gentle as he spoke to the teenager. "You said we were alike. That you were going to try and trust him. Please? For me?"

Silver's eyes widened as their conversation passed through his mind. He knew what he had said, and he knew that he wanted nothing more than to be able to at least _try _and get to know Gold, but why was it so_ hard?_

"..." Silver scrunched his eyes shut tightly as he shook his head. He grunted and reached up with trembling hands, holding his head as a ferocious ache overwhelmed him. "...Green..."

"What do I have to do to prove that I will not hurt you?" Gold asked with a weary voice. "All I want is to help you."

Silver groaned as he fell to the ground, curling up in a ball. His head was pounding so badly, it felt like it was going to explode. "...Green...!"

Gold sighed. "Let me help. Please."

"..." Silver wanted nothing more than this pain to stop; the physical ache and the overwhelming loneliness and anger that ate at him every day. "...Gold... Gold..."

Gold knew what he had to do; he just hoped that Silver wouldn't kill him for it. He reached out with open arms and pulled the younger boy into them, holding him tight.

Silver's eyes snapped open at this, not having expected a hug at all. He sniffed once before tears slipped down his cheeks, returning the embrace. He buried his face in Gold's shoulder, clutching at his clothes in desperation.

"Gold...!" Silver moaned in pain. "...Gold...!"

"I'm here, Silver..." Gold whispered. "I'm here..."

Silver didn't know how long he had cried for, but he eventually found himself slipping off to oblivion in Gold's arms.

**-XX-**

When Silver woke up, he was back in Green's bed, tucked in tightly. He sat up and looked around, rubbing at his eyes. It took him a second later before he got out of bed and made his way out to the living room.

"Green...?" Silver called, finding the brunet and raven on the couch, conversing softly. He made his way over to the two and eyed the older teenager warily. "...Why are _you _here?"

"Because I wanted to be here to show you that I _do _care," Gold said. "Besides; Green and I were just talking about what we could do for you."

"You can do me a favour and..." Silver trailed off once he remembered what Gold had done for him. He ducked his head in shame. "...Fine..."

Gold grinned happily in his laid-back nature. "How are you, Silver?"

"...Good...?' Silver raised an eyebrow. Was this... how 'friends' spoke to each other...? But... what was the point of asking such stupid questions? "...I don't understand why you would ask how I am..."

"It shows I care and have an interest in you, Silver." Gold shrugged. "That's just what friends do."

Silver drifted off into his own thoughts before he nodded. If things weren't going to be _too _personal... he would give this a try. "...How... are... you...?"

"I'm great, thanks!" Gold laughed. "Wanna go grab some lunch from in town?"

Silver looked at Green, not sure how to answer. When he received a smile in return, he nodded. "...O... okay..."

Green grinned. He knew that this was a turning point for the troubled redhead.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N After talking with my friend about what I should do with the later chapters, she said I should put in more characters otherwise it would just seem repetitive. I jokingly said I'd put in Brock (anime Brock), which lead to my friend begging me to do so and then justifying her reason. This Brock is based more on the anime Brock (but not to such an embarrassing degree), but you'll understand why we've done this later in the chapter.**

Silver wasn't quite sure why he was following behind Gold, but he was sure it had something to do with the fact that Green had wanted him to change. He was keeping distance between them, but it was still clear they were travelling together because Gold was talking Silver's ears off, usually receiving only a grunt, glare or silence in answer.

"I've never actually been here before," Gold continued on happily as he turned to look at who he wanted to call a friend. "I wonder where the best places to eat are."

"Idiot..." Silver mumbled under his breath before he suddenly changed course and headed to their right.

Gold tilted his head as he followed behind the younger male. "Silver? Where are you going?"

"To get food..." Silver's voice was harsh and bitter, but Gold knew he couldn't expect anything more. He lead the raven-haired male over to a small cafe surrounded by a luscious garden before he stopped and glanced at the taller boy.

Gold whistled in astonishment. "How did you know to come here?"

Silver shrugged and mumbled something again. Though Gold didn't catch it, he knew better than to question the redhead. They walked inside, Gold in the lead with Silver behind him, and then made their way over to a small table towards the back of the café, waiting for a waitress to come and take their order.

Silver sat on the other end of the table, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. He didn't feel comfortable with this, but he wanted so hard to do it. He had thought about it as he walked here with Gold; he wanted to prove something, not just to Green, and not just to Gold, but to everyone else who had never given him a chance and, most importantly, himself so that he could show his father just how wrong that man had been.

"What are you going to order, Silver?' Gold asked, a lazy grin on his face as he tilted his chair back. "I could really go for a chicken roll."

Silver shrugged again. "...Food..."

Gold laughed and sat properly once a blonde waitress arrived to take their orders. He was calm as he asked for his chicken roll, waiting patiently for Silver to place his own want.

When the waitress left, Gold smiled brightly at the redhead, tilting back in his chair. "You know, I've never actually been in Kanto before. I figure I'll take the Gym challenge over here, too."

Silver sneered at these words. "Don't embarrass yourself."

Gold waved off the insult, knowing that Silver really had no idea how he was supposed to behave in these kinds of situations. "You should do it, too, Silver. We could do it together."

"I wouldn't go with you if my life depended on – _get off me!"_

Gold's eyes widened as a tanned male with brown hair placed his hands on Silver's shoulders, spinning the redhead around to face him.

"Why, hello, beautiful," the brunet spoke. "I was on my way to see the Viridian Gym Leader, but I'm glad I stopped by for some lunch; just seeing such a beautiful girl like you has –"

Silver shoved the brunet away with a loud snarl before he got to his feet, ready to yell and scream and, if needed, attack. "Don't fucking touch me, you pervert!"

Before anything more could be said, Gold jumped in between Silver and the male, his voice cold as he spoke. "Silver is _not _a girl, and keep your hands off him. I won't let you near him."

The male frowned as Silver's eyes widened; had Gold... just... _defended _him...? Against a _stranger...? _Someone who could _potentially hurt them...?_

"Gold..." Silver's mouth opened and closed, not able to say the words he was thinking. "...Gold..."

"I..." The brunet could see just how stressed out the redhead was, and he felt terrible; he knew that his advance hadn't helped. "...I'm really sorry... Please, let me pay for your food."

Gold turned to Silver, reaching out to put his hand on the younger's shoulder. "Are you okay, Silver?"

Silver's normally cold expression was one of shock as his eyes searched Gold's face for a hint of deception. "...You... Y-you stopped him..."

"You're my friend, Silver," Gold reminded gently. "That's what friends do."

"...But..." Silver couldn't help but tear up. He bowed his head as realisation dawned on him; Green had been right all along; Gold _was _a good person... "...T-thank you..."

The male who had caused this tapped Gold on the shoulder. "Would you mind if I sit with you guys? I really do feel terrible about this."

"No, that's fine." Gold gestured to one of the chairs on the table opposite them. "Pull one up."

The brunet nodded as he did so, watching as the raven-haired male coaxed the redhead back into his seat. "My name is Brock. I'm the Gym Leader of Pewter City. I had to talk to the Viridian Gym Leader and organise something."

"I'm Gold, and this is Silver," Gold introduced. "We're from Johto, but I came over to take the Kanto Gym Challenge."

"Ambitious. How did you go in Johto, Gold?"

"Beat all seven." Gold grinned.

Silver remained quiet as Gold and Brock conversed, too confused about his new revelation to want to talk much. He picked at his food once it arrived and, once he knew Gold and Brock had finished eating as well, quietly mumbled that he had to return back to the Gym.

"I'm heading that way, so I'll walk with you." Brock stood up and moved to Silver's side, not acknowledging the flinch the redhead rewarded him with.

"Okay..." Silver mumbled. He moved closer to Gold, not realising he had done so until their shoulders brushed together.

Gold didn't comment on this and inside smiled, talking happily as they returned back to Green's gym.

_**~~With Green~~**_

Green, despite having closed the Gym for the day due to his injuries and Silver's absence, was sitting inside, waiting for his fellow Gym Leader to arrive for their meeting about tactics in Gym battles. However, he was rather surprised when the man was flanked by the two children he thought had gone to lunch. He couldn't help but smile upon seeing the way Silver stood close to Gold, clearly seeking comfort.

"Brock." Green nodded politely to the older male.

"Green." Brock gestured to the kids beside him. "I believe these are yours?"

"One of them is. The redhead. His name is Silver."

"Yeah, we met," Silver said. His voice was soft, but there was no hint of the coldness that Green was accustomed to hearing. He then did something that surprised both Gold and Green; he _smiled. _"...It must have been amusing to see."

Green offered a smile only for Silver before he turned his attention back to Brock, the gentle display of emotion now replaced by one of boredom. "Shall we take this into the tearoom, Brock? It will be more comfortable out there than it is in here."

Brock nodded, moving to Green's side. Silver and Gold stayed where they were, not sure if they should follow or not. The younger brunet seemed to sense their confusion and turned back to them, offering a small smile.

"You may join us if you so wish," Green said. "It's your choice."

Silver glanced down at the ground before he looked at Gold. He shrugged, his cold expression returning, but still that tiny hint of warmth in his eyes. "I don't care. Whatever Gold wants to do."

Gold laughed before he took the younger male's arm, tugging him along as he turned to exit the Gym. "We'll go have a battle!"

Silver tugged his arm back to his person, growling about personal space, but Gold didn't care; he was just too happy as he always seemed to be.

**A/N I'm considering making this the second last chapter with an epilogue summing the fic up. I've got school and other fics I need to work on amongst other things, and it will be easiest for me to end most of my fics as soon as I can.**


	12. Chapter 12

A year had passed since Silver had been taken in by Green. He was smiling a lot more these days, finding joy in just being around people he cared about – even if it were only Green and Gold, the latter now officially named as the redhead's best friend.

Silver still disliked physical contact, finding it too hard to be within close proximity to others. He had a form of PTSD triggered mostly by violent actions, but he was getting better at handling it considering he was very rarely around brutish behaviour.

Currently, Green was standing in the kitchen, cooking lunch for Silver and Gold, having already eaten. His Eevee sat by his side, purring happily as it rubbed against its owner's leg.

"Smells good, doesn't it?" Green smiled down at his Pokemon as he prepared the last of the onigiri. "Do you want to try some?"

"Eevee!" The Fox smiled up at its owner in its own animalistic manner.

Green's smile widened as he took a lump of onigiri and placed it in the food bowl sitting in the corner of the room. He returned back to the bench he was working at, looking through the window that overlooked the backyard. He watched as his own Pokemon played with Silver's, the creatures happy as could be. Golbat had even evolved into a Crobat just last night, proving to everyone how much Silver had changed.

In the living room, Gold lounged about on the couch while Silver sat on the end, his nose up in the air as he frowned upon his friend's lazy habits. He himself sat in a much more dignified manner, his back straight as he kept his hands clasped neatly in his lap.

"Put the next movie on, please," Gold asked as he slipped into an even more uncomfortable position, his legs resting against the top of the couch as his head hung upside down.

Silver rolled his eyes as he got off the couch and moved over to the DVD player. He picked up the case that was sitting on the stand, glaring at it as if it were the cause of his annoyance, but he spoke to the older teenager lazing behind him.

"Why are we watching this crap?" Silver asked as he opened the case and popped the disc out, slipping it into the DVD player.

"Because it's good." Gold smiled idly at his best friend. "And I know you like it, too."

"Pft, whatever..." Silver pressed play on the DVD player once the menu popped up before he took his position back on the couch. He shoved at Gold's feet when they came to rest in his lap, the raven-haired boy moving back into a (semi) normal position.

"I'm not your personal stool!" Silver hissed, seething at the treatment.

"Yeah, yeah." Gold's playful grin widened when Green appeared in the living room, a tray of onigiri in his hands. "Gee, thanks, Green!"

"Thank you..." Silver mumbled quietly as he grabbed a small rice ball, his annoyance already forgotten at his guardian's appearance.

"Sit up so I can join you," Green said. He moved onto the side of the couch when Gold moved closer to the younger boy. He laughed at seeing the uncomfortable expression on his charge's face as the raven-haired boy wrapped his arms around Silver's shoulders. "Don't pout, Silver."

Silver's frown turned into a scowl. He shoved at his friend before he crossed his arms over his chest. "I do not pout, Green."

"Sure, you don't," Gold teased, poking Silver with a persistent finger.

Silver's scowl grew, but he soon smiled softly when the two older males burst into laughter. He knew that they were only playing with him and, because he was only new at having fun with others, could only laugh hesitantly, used to restraining his emotions.

But with Gold and Green around him, Silver was certain that he would be laughing freely soon enough.


End file.
